So with the season opener against Elon rapidly approaching and the reality of Brown’s absence beginning to set in, the Blue Devils have turned to others to fill the leadership void created by the injury to their most important defensive stalwart.

“Jeremy Cash is a guy our entire defense looks to and he was very involved even before Kelby Brown’s injury,” Knowles said. “He’s vocal and his play last year helped elevate our defense to a new level. Then David Helton is a guy who will have to take on more on defense.

“David has performed very well and (has) kind of being in the shadows because Kelby had been great. This is a chance for him to assume a greater role.”

Cash is a junior safety who earned All-America honors last year after recording 125 tackles and four interceptions in his first season after transferring to Duke from Ohio State. Helton is a senior linebacker who inexplicably passed over for postseason honors despite leading the ACC with 133 tackles.

In addition to their vocal contributions, both players will also be called upon to pick up some of Brown’s slack on the field.

Knowles

Knowles said that Helton will move from the “Will” linebacker spot to Brown’s “Mike” position in the middle, where he will become the quarterback of Duke’s defense. Senior C.J. France and redshirt freshman Chris Holmes are the most likely candidates to take over Helton’s old spot, with true freshman Zavier Carmichael also in the mix.

Knowles added that he and coach David Cutcliffe are also experimenting with different packages that will utilize Cash and fellow safety Dwayne Norman to find “different ways of production at the Will linebacker position.”

The changes became necessary on Monday when Brown, who had 114 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 2013, tore the ACL in his left knee on the second play of Duke’s first preseason scrimmage.

It’s the third serious knee injury that Brown has suffered during his time with the Blue Devils. He will have to apply to the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility to continue his college career.

“It’s a very emotional time for all of us,” Knowles said, adding that he visited Brown in the hospital earlier in the day. “I think in terms of our defense there certainly were shock waves and you need to acknowledge that, which I did.